Best Guitar Amps For Gigging: 15 of our favourites

7th Feb 2012 | 14:59

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Marshall MA50C

Most guitarists will eventually feel the call of the stage and while your practice amp will see you through your early living-room gigs, it might not cut it in larger venues. With that in mind, we've put together our pick of 15 of the best guitar amps for small gigs that won't make your wallet weep.

Fender Deluxe VM

Fender Deluxe VM

If you've ever questioned the fuss that surrounds valves, five minutes immersed in this rich, shimmering, responsive tone will make you a card-carrying convert. In addition, the Deluxe VM’s 40 watts should be more than capable of handling most small to medium-sized gigs.

Randall KH75

Randall KH75

The KH75 might not be your dream choice for the studio but it’s perfect for the road, pumping out enough power to hit the back wall, delivering two watertight metal tones and soaking up more abuse than its pampered valve-powered rivals into the bargain.

Blackstar HT Venue Stage 60

Blackstar HT Venue Stage 60

The 60 watts of valve power combined with the speaker configuration is perfect for a mixture of medium to large venues and with this many tonal adjustments at your disposal, it’s difficult to think of a musical situation where the Stage 60 wouldn’t cut it.

Egnater Rebel 30 112

Egnater Rebel 30 112

The Rebel 30 is one of the more expensive combos in this roundup, but this Chinese-made 30 watt valve unit sounds like an amp worth twice the price. It’s not one for fans of extreme gain, but those at the rock and blues end of the spectrum should find plenty to enjoy.

Ampeg GVT52-112

Ampeg GVT52-112

It may be best known for its bass rigs, but Ampeg is a dab hand with six-string amplification too. This Korean made 50-watt valve combo offers a tonally flexible alternative to the big guitar amp brands and will find favour with players looking for something a bit different.

Marshall Class 5 Combo

Marshall Class 5 Combo

A five-watt combo may not be your immediate starting point when looking for a gigging amp, but this little Marshall has got a big mouth. Steer clear if you’ve got a loud drummer, or need clean tones at high volumes, but for any fans of crunch playing smaller gigs, the Class 5 could prove a worthy companion.

Orange Thunder 30 Combo

Orange Thunder 30 Combo

There's some blinding competition, granted, but the TH30, in its portable format, fills a different space. It would be a disservice to view it purely as a hard rock orientated amp; those EL84s provide sweet clean, crunch and distorted sounds. Some may be put off by the seemingly basic controls at first, but just wait 'til you plug in…

Line 6 Spider Valve MkII

Line 6 Spider Valve MkII

We love just how many extra goodies Line6 has squeezed into its latest hybrid monster, and it's managed to do it without compromising that refined Bogner valve tone. The sounds on offer here are everything you'd expect from a pro-quality amp and you'll appreciated just how easy it is to dial in the tones you want on the go.

Peavey Vypyr Tube 120

Peavey Vypyr Tube 120

First impression of the Vypyr: it's a riot. The presets make it easy to get rocking, but there's also scope to tweak parameters. A 120-watt solid-state combo should be more than capable of handling small gigs, but the Vypyr Tube 120 is a good option for new players that want an amp that can do it all.